Review: We need to talk about Kevin (2011)

Title: We need to talk about Kevin (2011)
Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C Reilly, Ezra Miller and others
Director: Lynne Ramsay

Verdict: A very psychological exploration of a family which experiences a macabre incident. It is a serious drama but the story is told in a way that holds the audience curiosity till the end.

Score: 8 out of 10

If a movie gets the viewers talking about the movie then it is considered a successful film. 'We need to talk about Kevin' is one such film.  It is a very intense story of a mother, played by Tilda Swinton  who appears to have experienced some horrible incident in her family of a husband and two children. It tells the story in a way that heightens the curiosity of the audience and holds them wanting to find out what exactly happened. If you like movies that give you some insight into strange human psyche then you will like this movie. It is not a suspense thriller but the director has used clever techniques and keeps you guessing.

Since the movie should be watched without knowing too much about the story, I will not go into the plot. Instead I will talk about the film making technique I liked in this film.


The story telling technique is very fascinating. In the beginning I found it a bit slow and I did not know what was going on. Also what was happening looked very bleak. But then I started to understand it and the movie started getting better.


A lot of things are shown to the viewer by way of the mother remembering them. But we are never able to understand the significance. For instance, in the opening scene we hear the sounds of sprinklers and the cheer leaders doing their routine. It may seem like just sounds but these are two key hints to what happened. The director makes us hang on curiously by not telling us what exactly occured till about the 80% mark. Through the suggestions of blood we know something bad happened. They show people treating the mother with hatred indicating she was responsible for the terrible events. Even though this movie is not about entertainment I liked this technique where the director uses it to increase the audience experience.

The movie is not linear. Present time and flash backs are interspersed - again not in chronological order. But then all the pieces are explained as the movie unfolds. The best part for me was this - this movie has one of the best endings I have seen - very satisfying.  Tilda Swinton is the heart of the movie and she carries it through superbly. John C Reilly gives good support. He is one of my favorite actors. Ezra Miller also gives a terrific performance. The director Lynne Ramsay has given a good cinematic experience to the viewers. 


I will give it 8 on 10..